大象传媒

I was 12 years old when the war started - it was an adventure and I had no thought of danger! My two brothers joined up, one in the Fleet Air Arm and the other in the Navy, and my sister was an ATS girl. I had been ill for several years and was always receiving comics and toys from them. I could now return the compliment and send them something - usually it was sticking plasters, headache pills and bandages and of course a letter! I was a bad spller and if there was a word I did not know, I simply missed it out! They told me later that it gave them a laugh trying to understand my letters and trying to work out the missing words. It made me feel important as I related the local gossip (often of people they did not know!) - and all written on toilet paper (our writing paper!). The other memories are of staying up late, going into the air raid shelter with the grown ups and watching the planes caught in the searchlights - and listening to the grown ups swearing...I was in my element! When there was bombing we helped give food and shelter in Park Methodist Church where my mother was caretaker. I so much enjoyed meeting and offering help to the people who were in need of support. At Christmas my brothers and sister came home and we had butter chocolate and bananas as a special treat. I did not hear of the bad things they had to do - it was not until years later that I heard my sister had been manning an Ack Ack gun which was bombed and she saw her friends blown to bits. I realised how lucky I had been. One of my brothers sent me a bible which he had purchased HMS Queen Elizabeth. I proudly showed it off in Church. Another memory of when they came home was my mother's first words to them - 'when are you going back'! We always had jolly times when they came home - one brother was married. At Church my mother would ask if anyone needed home comforts and she bring them to the house. We had lots of fun playing cards - some of them were good looking (!) and they would help with making cups of tea and washing up. I went to work in an icecream shop but sadly the owner was recruited in the forces and his ship was torpedoed. That really brought the war home to me. It was a very sad time but the family carried on making food for the Army who were stationed opposite in the park. It was fun for my sister and I - in fact my sister eventually married a soldier stationed there. So you can see it was in many ways - a lovely war!

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